You can take our bags but not our bingo

From the archives of The Valley Journal and Sopris Sun

Jan. 21, 1982

Carbondale Trustees approved a $3.5 million Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) to support the construction of a strip mall at the southwest corner of Main Street and Highway 133. The so-called “Mall at Roaring Fork” would feature a 23,000 square-foot Circle Supers grocery store (previously located in the Sopris Shopping Center) on one side and a drug store on the other, with office space in between. The whole deal was spearheaded by “The Company” — a partnership that didn’t yet exist on paper. (It’s unclear how much changed before the actual construction of what’s now the old City Market space, to say nothing of later acquisitions, expansions and renovations.)
In other news… The Dutch Creek mine reopened eight months after the methane explosion that killed 15 men.

Jan. 23, 1992

Devotees of Carbondale Fire’s weekly bingo night arrived one Tuesday to find a sign taped to the door: “Bingo canceled by vote of CVFD membership 1-13-91 (sic). Thanks.” The Journal was subsequently flooded with calls from seniors and others expressing shock and a sense of betrayal. “I’m a widow and it has given me something really enjoyable to do every Tuesday night,” said June Nightengale. “Bingo gets the older seniors here in town at night to socialize and have some fun. We even have a few who come in from out of town for the games and I know some of the older folks have been playing for 30 years.” Fire Chief Ron Leach said the whole thing was just too much of a drain on the handful of volunteers who were certified to run the game, but, given the uproar, the department was looking into ways of bringing bingo back. 

In other news… KDNK was in danger of losing access to programs like “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition” if it didn’t pay its NPR debt by March 22 — so they turned to the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities for help bridging the gap.

Jan. 3, 2002

Numerous locals had a role to play in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Colorado Rocky Mountain School nordic coaches Andrew Gardner and Lindley van der Linde were part of the support staff, acting as a wax tester and forerunner, respectively. Rachel Weishaar, RFHS class of ‘94, was on the front lines of logistics as the motor pool coordinator, overseeing a fleet of nearly 5,000 vehicles. And Jay Artaz, class of ‘74, was one of 38 people carrying the torch through Wichita, a triumphant moment in his battle with cancer. Even the kids got involved, with Basalt Middle Schooler Michelle Miller winning Coca-Cola’s poster contest for the local leg of the torch relay.

In other news… A regional highway task force proposed a new interchange which would elevate Highway 82 traffic over Highway 133 at their intersection north of Carbondale — for about $200,000.

Jan. 12, 2012

The decision on whether to continue Carbondale’s bag ban was headed to the April ballot, after more than 200 people signed a petition to put it to the people. The original ordinance, passed by trustees the previous October, removed plastic bags from retailers of a certain size — in practice, just City Market — and placed a 20¢ fee on paper bags. It was part of a broader push by the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) to curb waste, with moderate measures already passed in Aspen and Basalt. (Voters would ultimately back the ban, which continues to this day even as Kroger begins phasing out plastic bags at all its locations.)

In other news… Roaring Fork School District’s board voted to terminate Superintendent Judy Haptonstall’s contract, citing concerns about her “Moving On” initiative.